State Colleges / Universities Vow to be “Nine Strong for a Stronger New Jersey”

Presidents Sign Pledge, New Web Sites Launched

Photo: Mike Peters

President Susan Cole responds to a media question as SGA President Ron Chicken listens.

Underscoring the collective value and critical role of state
colleges and universities, Montclair State President Susan A. Cole joined
fellow state college and university presidents to launch a major statewide
campaign, “Nine Strong for a
Stronger New Jersey” at a press conference at Thomas Edison State College
on September 16. As part of this effort, the college and university presidents
signed a pledge to the State of New Jersey
expanding their commitment to educating the next generation of the state’s
students.

The nine institutions, all members of the New Jersey
Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU),
are Montclair State University, The College of New Jersey, Kean University, New
Jersey City University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Richard Stockton College,
Rowan University, Thomas Edison State College, and William Paterson University. These nine institutions enroll nearly
one-half of all students who attend a four-year college or university in New
Jersey.

Despite the importance of these institutions to higher
education in New Jersey, state support has steadily declined over the years forcing
the institutions to look elsewhere for the funds to continue operations. “When my father graduated from Montclair
State in 1974, state appropriations covered more than 87 percent of the institution's
operating budget,” said Montclair State Student Government Association
President Ron Chicken. “Now, this year, when I’m a senior at Montclair State,
state appropriation covers only 27 percent of the University’s operating budget.”

Chicken, who accompanied Dr. Cole and addressed the media representing the students of the nine
institutions, also remarked that the state—through its lack of funding—had
essentially left the students to build their own institutions. “At Montclair State University and at our
sister state colleges and universities, the students have essentially built all these
facilities," he stated. “We have paid
higher tuition and fees because we wanted—and this state needs us to have—the faculty
and facilities and services that will assure us a high quality education.”

Dr. Cole stressed the urgency of the situation with regard
to the numbers of students who leave the state to attend college elsewhere. “If you look at all of
the net out-migration in the whole country—and by net out-migration we’re
talking about the difference between students who come into a state and
students who leave the state—New Jersey, this one state, accounts for 43 percent of
the national net out-migration,” she said. “We are so beyond the norm in this matter and what that constitutes is
26,000 people a year, year after year after year, leaving this state. That’s
our future workforce, that’s our future tax-paying population, that’s New
Jersey’s future economic health.”

NJASCU also used the occasion to announce the launch of the
New Jersey College Promise Action Network. The network will link people who
care about the nine state colleges and universities with those in a position to
make these institutions a higher priority—including the New Jersey Governor and
Legislature. Participation in the network is purely voluntary and is open to
students, their family members, alumni, staff, trustees, educators, and other
friends of the institutions. To
participate, visit www.njcollegepromise.com.